'Girls Like Us' circling femme leads

Sony Pictures and Di Bonaventura Pictures' adaptation of Sheila Weller's book "Girls Like Us" may still be in development and without a greenlight, but the project is beginning to heat up as a handful of up-and-coming Hollywood starlets start testing for the roles of singers Carly Simon and Carole King.

Taylor Swift is already in line to play Joni Mitchell, as Variety first reported this spring.

Rising stars testing for the role of Simon include Allison Williams ("Girls"), Jessica Pare ("Mad Men") and Analeigh Tipton ("Crazy, Stupid, Love"); among the actresses who will read for the role of King are Alison Pill ("The Newsroom"), Olivia Thirlby ("Dredd 3D"), Ari Graynor ("For a Good Time, Call") and Zoe Kazan ("Ruby Sparks").

Of course, with a project like "Girls Like Us," chemistry between the three leads is crucial, and the filmmakers want to get the casting right before deciding to move forward -- hence, the exploratory testing. Sony had no comment.

The long-gestating drama examines the careers of singers Mitchell, Simon and King and charts their impact on a generation of female musicians. "House" exec producer Katie Jacobs, who optioned the book several years ago, is directing from a script by John Sayles, while Lorenzo di Bonaventura ("Transformers") is set to produce.

Pare plays Megan Draper, the wife of Jon Hamm's Don Draper on AMC's acclaimed series "Mad Men," and turned heads with her seductive performance of "Zoo Be Zoo Be Zoo" during the show's fifth season premiere.

Williams is starting to be considered for lead roles in studio movies thanks to her turn as Marnie Michaels, the best friend of Lena Dunham's Hannah Horvath on HBO's hit series "Girls."

Tipton is the former "America's Next Top Model" contestant who co-starred in Whit Stillman's "Damsels in Distress" and will soon be seen in Summit's zombie romancer "Warm Bodies."

Pill remains in contention to play King, as Variety first reported in April. Thesp recently starred in consecutive Woody Allen pics -- "Midnight in Paris" and "To Rome With Love."

Thirlby gets to showcase her action chops opposite Karl Urban in Lionsgate's "Dredd 3D," which opens today. She can also currently be seen opposite John Krasinski in Magnolia's "Nobody Walks," co-written by Dunham and helmer Ry Russo-Young.

Graynor currently stars in Focus' phone sex comedy "For a Good Time, Call ..." and plays Rashida Jones' best friend in "Celeste and Jesse Forever." She'll soon be seen among the star-studded ensemble of Jamie Linden's high school reunion pic "10 Years."

Kazan, who starred in and wrote the Fox Searchlight pic "Ruby Sparks," wrapped "The F Word" with Daniel Radcliffe on Friday.

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